Believe it or not, there might be microbial life in the clouds on Venus! Scientists have found microbes, or tiny living organisms in the clouds of Venus.
Scientists have detected phosphine. Phosphine is when one phosphorous atom is bonded or connected to three hydrogen atoms. Atoms are the building blocks of everything. They are comparing this phosphine molecule with Earth. On Earth, phosphine means there is life when this molecule is detected. Mostly, when phosphine is detected, it means that there is microbial life. Scientists are still looking closer to find out for sure.
Glossary
phosphorous: a chemical element found mostly in the human body (teeth, bones, DNA, and RNA)
hydrogen: most abundant chemical element in the universe
microbial: microbes which are microscopic organisms that can live in extreme environments
Sources
Is there life floating in the clouds of Venus? (BBC)
Life on Venus? Astronomers See a Signal in Its Clouds (The New York Times)
In Clouds on Venus, New Potential for Microbial Life (Smithsonian Magazine)